Lord Ram is considered to be the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is believed to have taken birth on the Earth to defeat the devils, guard his devotees and restore truth and dharma. Lord Ram is the legend of the epic Hindu Story, Ramayana. He existed in Treta-Yug and is considered to be the ideal man and a supreme human in all aspect – physically, mentally and spiritually. There are a lot of temples of Lord Ram where devotees visit very often.
Here, is the list of 10 Temples of Lord Rama Every Devotee Must Visit.
1. Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple, Telangana
Also known as Bhadrachalam Temple, it is located in the Hindu Pilgrimage site of Telangana the temple derives its name from the city called Bhadrachalam. It is one of the most famous temples of Lord Ram, situated on the banks of Godavari River. It is 300 km far from the state capital, Hyderabad. The composer of popular South Indian music, Carnatic music, named as Kancherla Gopannais is known to have constructed the temple. It is believed to be 400 years old and is sacred place that attracts lakhs of devotees around the world. Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, and Laxmana are the main gods and goddesses of the temple with Vykuntha Ekadasi and Sri Rama Navami being the tempting festivals celebrated there.
2. Ram Raja Temple, Madhya Pradesh
Ram Raja Temple is situated in Orcha, a town in Madhya Pradesh. It lies on the bank of Betwa River. The temple is only 13 km away from Jhansi railway station. Ram Raja is only the temple in India where Lord Ram is worshipped as the King. There is a legendary story of King Madhukar Shah Ju Dev and Queen Ganesh Kunwari behind which Rama is worshipped as a King. Ram Navami, celebrated during the Shukla Paksha on the Navami is the major festival celebrated in Ram Raja. The temple is really majestic in appearance as Raja Ram is followed by Sita (on the left), brother Laxman (on the right), Maharaj Sugreev and Narsingh Bhagwan (on the right). Lord Hanuman and Jamwant are seen praying just below Sita.
3. Ram Janaki Mandir, Janakpur, Nepal
Popularly known as “Nau Lakha Mandir”, it is located at which was once the famous, Mithila Kingdom and now at the Janakpur, Nepal. It is 123 km to the south-east of Kathmandu. It is dedicated to Hindu deity Sita. The temple is built in Rajput architectural designs which is the birthplace of Goddesses Sita, consort of Lord Ram and the venue where Sita got married to Rama.
According to the legends, the temple is built at the exact same spot where the golden statue of Sita was found. Thousands of devotees from Nepal and India visit the temple during November and December for celebrating Vivah Panchami.
4. Ramaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
The temple dates back to the 16th century and is embellished with finest stone carvings. The temple of Lord Lama is located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. It was constructed 400 years back during the time of Achutha Nayaka. The temple has a 3-tiered gopuram and Kalasams on the top. The main temple portrays the image of Rama sitting with Sita. There are also images of Lakshmana, Bharatha, and Chatruguna standing on his feet and Hanuman is seen praying. Ram Navami is celebrated in the Tamil month, Panguni.
5. Triprayar Sri Rama Temple, Kerala
Triprayar Sri Rama Temple is situated in the colourful city of Kerala called Thrissur. Lord Rama is worshipped as Triprayarappan or Triprayar Thevar in Triprayar Sri Rama temple. The sub deities of the temple are Hanuman, Ganapathy, Dakshinamoorthy, Sastha (Ayyappa).
Here’s the story behind the temple. Initially, the idol of Lord Krishna was worshipped in the temple, and after the demise of Lord Krishna, the idol was immersed in the sea. Later on, the local fishermen found the idol from the sea and the ruler of that time Vakkayil Kaimal constructed the temple at Triprayar and put up the Ram idol.
6. Kalaram Mandir, Nashik
Kalaram Temple is one of the most important Lord Rama temples. Situated in the Panchavati Area of Nashik, it is the most important Hindu shrine in the city. The shrine of this temple houses a statue of Lord Rama that is black in colour, hence, the name Kalaram (Black Ram). Along with that, the shrine houses idols of Goddess Sita and Lord Lakshman. It is believed that the idol of Lord Ram was found in the holy river Godavari. Thousands of pilgrims visit this beautiful temple every year. The temple of black statue of Lord Rama is a must visit tourist place in Nashik.
7. Kanak Bhavan Temple, Ayodhya
Kanak Bhawan is one of the biggest shrines of Lord Ram and his consort Sita. It is located in the Ayodhya, the ancient city in India. Ayodha is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, which gives more charm to Kanak Bhavan temple.
The history of the temple dates back to the Treta Yug. It was gifted by Lord Ram’s step-mother Kaikeyo as a marriage gift. The temple is constantly being renovated and reconstructed from then. The first reconstruction was done by Lord Ram’s son Kush in the dawn of Dwapar Yug.
8. Kodandaramaswami Temple, Chikmagalur
Kodandramaswami is located in the hill station of Chikkamagaluru, in Karnataka India. It is 250 km from Bangalore. The temple derives its name from Kodandarama as Ram, and his brother Lakshmana are portrayed holding the arrows. In accordance with the ancient story of Sthala Purana, Lord Rama suppressed proud Purushotama at Hiremagalur, a village in Karnataka. On the request of Purushottama Rama showed him the scene of his (Rama’s) marriage. That is why Sita is seen standing to Rama’s right side and Lakshmana to his left, as per the epics in Hindu marriage ceremonies.
9. Shri Ram Tirth Temple, Amristar
Shri Ram Tirth Temple situated in Amritsar, Punjab. The temple is as old as Ramayana and is believed to be the spot for the ashram of Mahatma Valmiki. According to Hindu epics, Sita gave birth to twins, Lavh and Kush in this ashram. The architecture of temple follows the unique mixture of tradition and modernity. The popular festival celebrated here is a four-day long Ram Tirth Fair which happens to be in the month of November with lakhs of devotees.
10. Viraat Ramayan Mandir, Bihar
Still under progress, the temple is situated in the city of Patna, Viraat Ramayan Mandir will be the largest Shrine in the world after its completion. The temple is 60 km far from an archaeological site, Vaishali at Janaki Nagar near Kesaria in North Bihar. It shall possess a big hall with seating capacity of 20,000 people and its size will be double the height of the world famous 12th century Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia (which stands 215 feet high). The temple is dedicated mainly to Lord Ram and his consort Sita, with 16 others Gods and Goddesses and their respective homes.